Is avocado oil good for cholesterol?

Probably, when it replaces butter or other saturated fat, though nobody has tested avocado oil itself. We found no randomized trial or review of avocado oil and blood cholesterol. The answer comes from its family. A systematic review of feeding trials found that swapping saturated fats for oils high in oleic acid, the main fat in avocado oil, lowered LDL cholesterol by 10.9%. Adding the oil on top of what you already eat is a different thing, and we found no trial of that either.

Unsettled. This rests on a proxy. Avocado oil was not among the oils compared in the largest network meta-analysis, and none of the reviews reported it as a separate exposure. Its benefit is inferred from olive and other high-oleic oils, which is reasonable and still untested.

What the trials found

Oils like it, against butter and saturated fat

A 2018 network meta-analysis of 54 randomized trials compared oils and solid fats. Safflower, sunflower, rapeseed, flaxseed, corn, olive, soybean, palm and coconut oil, as well as beef fat, all lowered LDL more than butter did, by 8.9 to 16 mg/dL (0.23 to 0.42 mmol/L). Olive oil is the closest relative of avocado oil in that list.

A 2015 systematic review looked at trials that swapped saturated fats or oils for oils with at least 70% oleic acid, for at least 3 weeks. Total cholesterol fell by 8.0%, LDL by 10.9% and apolipoprotein B by 7.9%, and most trials found no change in HDL or triglycerides. The review gives these as percentage changes and did not pool them in a formal meta-analysis, so there is no absolute figure to set beside them. A 2024 umbrella review of 48 reviews reached the same direction with moderate to very low certainty: oils rich in unsaturated fats, such as canola and virgin olive oil, lower total and LDL cholesterol.

The fruit is not the oil

Whole avocado has its own trials, and they should not be borrowed for the bottle. A 2016 meta-analysis of 10 trials with 229 people found avocado-enriched diets lowered LDL by 16.50 mg/dL (95% CI 10.10 to 22.91), with wide differences between trials. A 2018 meta-analysis of 18 studies with 481 people came out differently: avocado raised HDL by 2.84 mg/dL (95% CI 0.18 to 5.49) and did not change total or LDL cholesterol against control diets. The two reviews compared avocado with different control diets. A 2021 review of 108 systematic reviews graded avocados as causing moderate to large LDL reductions, on moderate evidence.

One feeding trial set the fruit against the oil directly. In 45 overweight adults over three 5-week diets, LDL fell by 13.5 mg/dL on one avocado a day, by 8.3 on a diet using high-oleic oils matched to the avocado's fat, and by 7.4 on a lower-fat diet. The avocado diet did better than both. The oil arm used high-oleic oils rather than avocado oil, so this trial suggests the fruit brings something the fatty acids alone do not.

What we do not know about heart disease

Lower LDL is a marker. A 2026 systematic review of trials that cut saturated fat said data on replacing it with monounsaturated fat were limited. Monounsaturated fat is the kind avocado oil is rich in, so the step from lower LDL to fewer heart attacks is not measured for this oil family.

Who should be careful

Not for everyone. The oil in the bottle may not be avocado oil. A laboratory analysis of commercial oils found three products labeled as avocado oil that matched soybean oil, which has a different fatty acid profile. If you buy avocado oil for its oleic acid, the label is not a guarantee.

We found no card on avocado oil and cholesterol in pregnancy, in children, in people allergic to avocado or alongside cholesterol medicines. If you take a statin or another lipid-lowering drug, a change of cooking oil is no substitute for it, and that is a conversation for the person who prescribes it.

What expert bodies say

The EU authorizes a claim that replacing saturated fats in the diet with unsaturated fats helps maintain normal blood cholesterol, and it names oleic acid as an unsaturated fat. The claim is about replacement, not about adding oil. No authorized EU claim names avocado oil.

How we searched

What would change this answer

• A randomized trial that gives avocado oil, in place of butter or another saturated fat, and measures LDL. We found none.
• A trial comparing avocado oil with olive oil, which would show whether the proxy holds.
• More trials of replacing saturated fat with monounsaturated fat that count heart attacks and deaths, the gap the 2026 review names.
• Purity testing of the avocado oils on sale where you live, since a blended bottle changes the fat you are actually eating.

More on this oil and the fruit: avocado oil and avocado and cholesterol.

Sources

1. ev-aochol-01 · Meta-analysis or systematic review · systematic review and dose-response network meta-analysis of RCTs (per 10% isocaloric exchange) · n = 54 trials
   Safflower, sunflower, rapeseed, flaxseed, corn, olive, soybean, palm, and coconut oil as well beef fat were more effective in reducing LDL-C (-0.42 to -0.23 mmol/l) as compared with butter.
   
   Who: randomized trials of at least 3 weeks comparing oils and solid fats
   Effect: LDL-C -16 to -8.9 mg/dL (-0.42 to -0.23 mmol/L) vs butter for safflower, sunflower, rapeseed, flaxseed, corn, olive, soybean, palm and coconut oil and beef fat; avocado oil not among the oils compared
   Certainty: Avocado oil was not studied; the closest proxy is olive oil, a similar high-oleic oil.
   J Lipid Res, 2018 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the abstract
2. ev-aochol-02 · Meta-analysis or systematic review · systematic review of controlled feeding trials · n = —
   Studies that replaced saturated fats or oils with HO oils showed significant reductions in total cholesterol (TC), LDL cholesterol, and apolipoprotein B (apoB) (P < 0.05; mean percentage of change: -8.0%, -10.9%, -7.9%, respectively), whereas most showed no changes in HDL cholesterol, triglycerides (TGs), the ratio of TC to HDL cholesterol (TC:HDL cholesterol), and apolipoprotein A-1 (apoA-1).
   
   Who: controlled clinical trials substituting oils with at least 70% oleic acid for at least 3 weeks
   Effect: vs saturated fats: TC -8.0%, LDL -10.9%, apoB -7.9%; vs trans fats: LDL -9.2%; vs n-6 PUFA oils: mostly no change in TC, LDL or HDL
   Certainty: Not pooled by formal meta-analysis; avocado oil (about 70% oleic) fits the inclusion profile but was not a named intervention.
   Adv Nutr, 2015 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the abstract
3. ev-aochol-03 · Meta-analysis or systematic review · umbrella review with GRADE · n = 48 studies (206 meta-analyses)
   Moderate to very low certainty evidence showed that monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids such as canola oil, virgin olive oil, and rice bran oil are beneficial in reducing serum total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) concentrations.
   
   Who: adults in systematic reviews and meta-analyses of vegetable oil intake
   Effect: MUFA- and PUFA-rich oils reduce TC and LDL; coconut and palm oil raise TC and LDL (low to very low certainty)
   Certainty: Avocado oil not reported as a separate exposure.
   Adv Nutr, 2024 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the abstract
4. ev-aochol-04 · Randomized controlled trial(s) · randomized crossover controlled feeding trial, three 5-week diets · n = 45
   Compared with baseline, the reduction in LDL-C and non-high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol on the AV diet (-13.5 mg/dL, -14.6 mg/dL) was greater (P<0.05) than the MF (-8.3 mg/dL, -8.7 mg/dL) and LF (-7.4 mg/dL, -4.8 mg/dL) diets.
   
   Who: overweight or obese adults with LDL-C in the 25th to 90th percentile
   Effect: LDL-C from baseline: avocado diet -13.5 mg/dL, moderate-fat high-oleic oil diet -8.3 mg/dL, lower-fat diet -7.4 mg/dL (avocado vs others P<0.05); only the avocado diet cut LDL particle number (-80.1 nmol/L)
   Certainty: The oil arm used high-oleic oils, not avocado oil; suggests the fruit adds benefits beyond its fatty acids.
   J Am Heart Assoc, 2015 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the abstract
5. ev-aochol-05 · Meta-analysis or systematic review · meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials · n = 229
   Avocado consumption significantly reduced TC, LDL-C, and TG by -18.80 mg/dL (95% confidence interval [CI], -24.56 to -13.05; I(2), 46.9%), -16.50 mg/dL (95% CI, -22.91 to -10.10; I(2), 72.5%), -27.20 mg/dL (95% CI, -44.41 to -9.99; I(2), 91.1%) respectively.
   
   Who: participants of randomized trials of avocado-enriched diets
   Effect: LDL-C -16.50 mg/dL (95% CI -22.91 to -10.10; I2 72.5%); TC -18.80 mg/dL; TG -27.20 mg/dL; HDL -0.18 mg/dL (NS)
   Certainty: Whole avocado, not oil; high heterogeneity; small trials.
   J Clin Lipidol, 2016 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the abstract
6. ev-aochol-06 · Meta-analysis or systematic review · systematic review and meta-analysis · n = 481
   In 7 studies, avocado intake significantly increased HDL cholesterol (summary net change: 2.84 mg/dL; 95% CI: 0.18, 5.49 mg/dL), with significant heterogeneity.
   
   Who: participants of studies on avocado intake and CVD risk factors
   Effect: HDL +2.84 mg/dL (95% CI 0.18 to 5.49); no significant difference in TC, LDL, TG or body weight; no studies of clinical CVD events
   Certainty: Whole avocado, not oil; disagrees with the 2016 meta-analysis on LDL because of different control comparisons.
   Am J Clin Nutr, 2018 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the abstract
7. ev-aochol-07 · Meta-analysis or systematic review · systematic review of systematic reviews with GRADE · n = 108 systematic reviews
   With moderate evidence, avocados and turmeric caused moderate to large reductions.
   
   Who: adults in RCT-based systematic reviews of foods and LDL cholesterol
   Effect: avocados: moderate to large LDL reduction (moderate evidence); foods high in unsaturated, low in saturated fat such as rapeseed/canola oil: at least moderate (7.7 to 15 mg/dL (0.20 to 0.40 mmol/L)) reduction (high evidence)
   Certainty: Avocado oil not assessed separately.
   Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis, 2021 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the abstract
8. ev-aochol-08 · Meta-analysis or systematic review · risk-stratified systematic review of randomized trials · n = 66337
   Data were limited on the replacement of saturated fat with monounsaturated fat or protein.
   
   Who: adults with or without cardiovascular disease in RCTs reducing or modifying saturated fat
   Effect: all-cause mortality RR 0.96 (0.88 to 1.06); nonfatal MI RR 0.86 (0.70 to 1.06); clearer benefit when replaced by polyunsaturated fat (nonfatal MI RR 0.75); MUFA replacement data limited
   Certainty: Low to moderate certainty; directly relevant gap for oleic oils like avocado oil.
   Ann Intern Med, 2026 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the abstract
9. ev-aochol-09 · Laboratory or animal data · laboratory analytical study (1H-NMR with chemometrics) · n = —
   Interestingly, NMR detected the adulteration in three products labeled as avocado oils, which were clustering together with soybean oil, confirming previous findings [13].
   
   Who: commercial and lab-made avocado oil samples compared with olive, canola, high-oleic and soybean oils
   Effect: 3 products labeled avocado oil matched soybean oil; high-oleic sunflower and safflower oils flagged as likely adulterants
   Certainty: Sample counts in Methods; purity matters because a soybean blend has a different fatty acid profile.
   Molecules, 2021, Analysis and Authentication of Avocado Oil Using High Resolution NMR Spectroscopy · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the full_text
10. ev-aochol-10 · Position of an expert body · regulation · n = —
    POL-HC-6430 Oleic acid Replacing saturated fats in the diet with unsaturated fats contributes to the maintenance of normal blood cholesterol levels. Oleic acid is an unsaturated fat. Authorised
    
    Who: EU Register on nutrition and health claims
    Effect: authorized claim for oleic acid replacing saturated fat
    Certainty: Claim is about replacement, not adding oil; conditions of use are in Regulation (EU) 432/2012, not quoted here.
    EU Register on nutrition and health claims, claim POL-HC-6430, snapshot 2026-09-21 · checked 2026-10-07 · we read the section